Entry for "History of Magic" at "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)"

Write about the one of the champions (any year, known/minor/original characters accepted). Alternatively, write about the Tournament in general from a spectator's point of view.

Entry for the "Scavenger Hunt" at "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)"

24. Phoebe Black

Entry for the "Hogwarts Fair 2014" - Jellybean Bingo: Chilli Powder

I did choose Phoebe Tonkin as Phoebe Black as I found that she has some similarities to Bellatrix :)

I hope you like it :)


Phoebe Black deeply inhaled as she started to pace around the small tent that posed as a waiting area for the Triwizard Champions.

Only a few minutes separated her from the first task of this Triwizard Tournament and her knee's were shaking from fear while her heart raced, making it hard for her to relax. She had never been so nervous in her life before and as she let her eyes wander over to the other two champions she was sure that she was not going to survive this first task.

The boys from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were muscular, tall and broad-shouldered and one could tell that their magical skills were extraordinary – the air around them seemed to crackle from their powerful magic. She knew that Morten, the Durmstrang champion, had been training to become an auror since he turned sixteen and Jean from Beauxbatons was a duelling champion.

They had entered this because they were sure that they would win, or at least survive.

And then there was her, Phoebe.

The slim, rather small girl from Slytherin who had only thrown her name into the Goblet of Fire out of defiance. To gain the attention of her father who hated that she had turned out to be a girl while he was hoping for a son, a heir. Of course he had immediately expressed his disapproval as he had heard that she had even dared to put her name into the goblet.

Recalling everything, it had been foolish to believe that he would see this as an act of Phoebe's bravery, making her worth to become a rightful heir of the noble house Black.

Well, she had not thought for a second that the goblet could choose her, but then there had been this moment in the Feasting Hall of the Beauxbatons castle as the blue flames of the goblet had raised and a tiny piece of parchment had been spit out. The words from the Headmistress still resounded in her ears now:"Champion for Hogwarts: Phoebe Black!"

And now she was about to enter the arena, being the first one of the three, and she felt like she would faint any second. Fear was pulsing through her veins even more prominent than a second ago and Phoebe closed her fingers even tighter around her wand, making a weak try to encourage herself – her Head of the House had told her that he thought of her as a very skilled young witch and that she had to rely on her knowledge now...

But still the thought of her own death was there, clawing itself to her mind like a predator to its prey. Her father would be ashamed if she would die in the arena, her failure would disgrace the family even more than her mere participation in the tournament.

At least, Phoebe thought, I would never have to bear his insults any more... the ways he looked at her, as if he had eaten chilli powder, a ugly taste that did hurt him, disgusted him... the loudly explained plans for her marriage as soon as she would graduate from Hogwarts... it would be over...

"First champion, prepare to enter the arena," the official from the French Ministry of Magic spoke to her and Phoebe thought that she must have turned impossibly paler in this minute. Checking if her dark hair was sitting tightly in its ponytail she stepped forward, only turning as she heard a fondly voice with a Norwegian accent:"Good luck, Phoebe."

She gulped hard and nodded curtly before she left the tent, afraid of what would wait for her in the arena. Well, definitely nothing nice, regarding the death toll of this "friendly competitive occasion to make international friendships".

Phoebe did not dare to look at the field before her, instead she let her gaze wander over the stands first and there, in the first row, she could see her younger sister, her cousins, her favourite uncle and his wife... but no sign of her mother or her father.

Even though she had already suspected that he would be absent, she felt a huge disappointment and sadness as this showed her that her own father did not believe in her. Surely he would be in the stands cheering if she was a damn boy.

And suddenly, the fear inside of her was being pushed away forcefully by rage and anger about him and Phoebe felt a firmness build inside of her that she had never felt before. She wanted to succeed, she wanted to show him that she was capable of more than marrying someone with a pureblood family and enough wealth (or, she thought disgusted, even one of her cousins) and giving birth to a lot of baby's that would ensure the survival of their bloodline.

Her dark eyes flickered over to the huge field in front of her and a grim expression appeared on her pretty face while she took the last minute to analyse the task as much as she could. She could recognise Venomous Tentacula's, Devil's Snares... and in between the lines of dangerous and partly murderous plants were little ponds or different landscape areas with various animals and Phoebe assumed that none of them were classified under XXX by the Ministry.

Even though her stomach was turning and she felt incredibly sick right now, she stumbled a step forward and as the canon sounded her feet carried her forwards with great speed.

She would show her father what she was capable of, even if she had to struggle with a Grindeloh to do so.